Money can’t bring back Sarah, says Mamasapano father

From MindaNews (Mar 12): Money can’t bring back Sarah, says Mamasapano father

Farmer Tot Pananggulon clasped tightly on the white envelope he and the others received from Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chair Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim last March 8.

Pananggulon lost his eight-year-daughter Sarah during the clash between the MILF and PNP Special Action Force commandos in Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano town last Jan. 25.

The envelope contained some money from the MILF for Sarah’s death but Pananggulon said the financial assistance cannot bring back his daughter and the simple future he had dreamt for her.

“Pero matutuwa si Sarah nito (But Sarah will be happy with this),” Pananggulon said.

Talking through an interpreter, Pananggulon narrated he, his wife and two children were sleeping in a small nipa hut when the firefight between the PNP SAF commandos and the MILF took place.

He said his family was already awake for the morning Muslim prayers when gunshots were heard everywhere.

“We ran outside. We just ran and hid. Ran again. I did not even realize that I was running naked. The gunfire was very frightening,” Pananggulon narrated.

Pananggulon said that as he was running, he held on to Sarah, who had a deaf-mute disability.

“I wanted Sarah to have a bright future, but that night, that dream died,” he said.

Pananggulon said their family hid in the edge of the river in an effort to escape from the hail of flying bullets.

He said he left his family to get some help as the fighting continued.

“I do not know how it happened but I got separated from my family,” Pananggulon continued his narration.

When he and his family reunited that same day, he learned Sarah was hit by a stray bullet and died.

“Sarah died that day but my younger son will not accept his sister is already gone,” Pananggulon said.

He was also wounded when a bullet grazed his right shoulder.

Last March 8, MILF officials led by Chair Murad Ebrahim gathered the widows of the 18 fighters killed in the Jan. 25 Mamasapano clash in Camp Darapanan, Simuay, Sultan Kudarat town.

Sammy Al-Mansoor , the chief of staff of the MILF armed wing , Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), said they gave P70,000 each for the 18 widows of the MILF fighters who died.

Mansoor said they also gave P40,000 financial assistance to the 25 of their combatants who were wounded in the clash.

He said they did not also forget to give assistance to the families of Sarah and three other civilians who were killed in the crossfire at P40,000 each, and to the five civilians who were wounded, at P20,000 each.

“They are Bangsamoro and they are part of our struggle,” Mansoor said.

The total amount distributed was P2.5 million.

Mansoor said the money came from contributions of supporters like those in Marawi City who collected P50,000 for “our Shasheed (martyrs)” during a pro-Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) rally last Feb. 10.

Murad told the widows, the wounded and the relatives of the slain civilians and wounded that the MILF consoled itself that those who died attained an honorable death.

“Death is a certainty. But as human beings, it is but natural to still grieve for the loss of loved ones. However, for those of us who struggle for a cause, we console ourselves in the thought that they attained an honorable death in defense of their communities,” Murad said.

“We envy them for we are uncertain if we will be gifted with an honorable death; one that is in defense of our communities and in pursuit of the principles that we are fighting for,” he said.

The Maguindanao dialect was spoken throughout the ceremony in Camp Darapanan.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/03/12/money-cant-bring-back-sarah-says-mamasapano-father/

5 Mindanawon cadets make it to Top 10 of PMA Class 2015

From MindaNews (Mar 11): 5 Mindanawon cadets make it to Top 10 of PMA Class 2015
 

Five Mindanawon cadets made it to the Top 10 of the Philippine Military Academy’s (PMA) 2015 batch with two Zamboangueños placing second and eighth and a female cadet from Sarangani as the lone woman topnotcher, placing fifth.

Cadet First Class Genesis Salvador Dizon of Sta. Maria, Zamboanga City placed second and will receive the Vice Presidential Saber from Vice President Jejomar C. Binay Sr. Dizon is joining the Army.

Dizon’s townmate Steven Gabica Tali of Barangay Lower Calarian placed eighth. He will join the Navy.

“Zamboanga City is very proud to have two of its sons included in the Top 10 of the Sinag-Lahi PMA Class,” said Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar. She expressed hope that their accomplishments will serve as inspiration to other young Zamboangueños to always aim for the best in everything they do.

Cadet First Class Caroline Jhoy Ramirez Nacional of Maitum, Sarangani placed fifth and will be joining the Army.

Other top Mindanawon cadets are Brian Salise Villanueva of Lagao, General Santos City (9th) and Regeric Rex Rivas Fuentes of Mlang, North Cotabato (10th). Both are joining the Army.

Salazar noted that the life stories of the two Zamboangueño PMA cadets are very inspiring.

Dizon, class salutatorian, was motivated to join the military by his father who served the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for many years.

Dizon was on his second year taking up nursing at the University of the Philippines (UP) when he passed the PMA entrance examination. He finished elementary at the Zion Evangelical School and high school at the Regional Science High School (RSHS) in this city.

Tali is the proud son of a humble fish vendor, who single-handedly sent his four children to school after his wife left him several years ago.

Tali was on his second year at the Western Mindanao State University taking up criminology when he passed the PMA entrance test. He went to the John Spirig School for his elementary and later at the Zamboanga National High School (ZNHS)-West.

Lt. Gen. Oscar Lopez, PMA Superintendent, said this year’s graduating class is composed of 155 males and 16 females with 82 males and 7 females joining the Philippine Army, 39 males and 6 females joining the Philippine Navy and 31 males and 3 females joining the Philippine Air Force.

“The distinction of this class from the other classes before are most of these cadets were scholars and top students in their primary and secondary education prior to becoming cadets in the Academy,” Lopez stressed.

The class valedictorian of the 171-member Sinag-Lahi (Sundalong Isinilang na may Angking Galing at Lakas na Handang Ipaglaban ang Bayan) Class 2015 is Cadet First Class Arwi Chiday Martinez, 21, of Baguio City. Martinez is also joining the Army.

Martinez, will receive the Presidential Saber from President Aquino during the graduation rites on Sunday, March 15, at the PMA’s Borromeo grounds.

The rest of the cadets in the Top 10 are John Paul Atanacio Bacsain of Pili, Camarines Sur (3rd); Paolo Dominic Mantaring Regis of Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro (4th); John Denver Salinto Bambico of Naguilian, La Union (6th); Jan Klyde Blair Tendero Danganan of Irisan, Baguio City (7th).

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/03/11/5-mindanawon-cadets-make-it-to-top-10-of-pma-class-2015/

IED recovered in Mindanao town

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Mar 11): IED recovered in Mindanao town
 

Philippine authorities have defused a homemade bomb on Wednesday in the southern province of Sultan Kudarat near where security forces launched a combat operation against jihadist group fighting for an independent Muslim state in the troubled region.

The explosive was discovered by civilians in the town called Columbio, but it was unclear if rebels were behind the foiled attack.

Troops have been pounding lairs of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters with artillery and mortar fire and reported that dozens had been killed over the past weeks, although only few bodies had been recovered by military forces.

The discovery of the explosive came following a blast near a base of a military propaganda unit and a police station in Cotabato City and the killing of 2 soldiers by rebels in a separate clash in nearby Maguindanao.

The 6^th Infantry Division, which has carried out continuous assaults against the BIFF in Maguindanao, did not give out any statement about the bombing in Cotabato and the recovery of the explosive in Sultan Kudarat.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2015/03/ied-recovered-in-mindanao-town.html

PAF spokesperson: Contary to reports, all UH-1Ds in PAF service flyable, mission ready

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 12): PAF spokesperson: Contary to reports, all UH-1Ds in PAF service flyable, mission ready

All UH-IDs in the Philippine Air Force service are flyable and mission ready contrary to reports.

"The units that have been accepted comply with the technical specifications and operational concept set by the PAF, hence they are mission capable," PAF spokesperson Lt. Col. Enrico Canaya said during Thursday's briefing in Villamor Air Base, Pasay City.

Seven of the UH-IDs, out of the 21, ordered from Rice Aircraft Services, Inc., are now undergoing service at the PAF.

Canaya also said the "D" designation in the UH-1 means that it was manufactured by Dornier, a German aircraft manufacturer which started construction of the UH-1 during 1967 to 1981.

Around 350 units were built by the German aircraft manufacturer.

Another one is now undergoing acceptance testing while six others are undergoing flight test and the remaining are now in various stages of assembly.

The contract for 21 refurbished UH-1 combat utility helicopters is worth Php1.26-billion. It was signed during the last quarter of 2013.

Canaya said all seven UH-IDs are deployed to Central Luzon and Manila PAF units.

"The PAF, however, opted to deploy these newly turned over units to Central Luzon and Manila areas for endurance flights, training and other missions to make it accessible to technical representatives and take advantage of warranty claims," he added.

The PAF spokesperson also clarified that the UH-1Ds and UH-IHs, still in Philippine service are similar models but made by different manufacturers.

"Their airframes are old but once they are refurbished, they are reliable to perform missions. The PAF has a wealth of experience operating and maintaining UH-1 helicopters since the 1970s," he added.

Canaya also dismissed reports that UH-1D spare parts are no longer available in the market.

"Their parts are not obsolete and available in the market just like the parts for the existing fleets of UH-1Hs the PAF is currently maintaining. The UH-1H helicopters are still widely used in other countries," he added.

Canaya also added that the PAF does not accept aircraft with technical issues.

"The PAF only receives and operates units that passed the Technical Inspection And Acceptance Committee," he concluded.

The PAF spokesperson stated that the newly arrived UH-IDs are more superior to the UH-1Hs as it features composite main rotor blades which have a better performance and safety feature that the latter aircraft.

"Eight of the UH-1Ds have more powerful engines similar to the PAF rescue helicopter, the Bell 205, which has a better lifting capacity, the UH-IDs had structural improvements compared to the honey-combed components of the UH-1H and many others," Canaya pointed out.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=743798

20 more BIFF, including 3 relatives of Basit Usman, killed in latest Maguindanao clash

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 12): 20 more BIFF, including 3 relatives of Basit Usman, killed in latest Maguindanao clash

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced that another 20 Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were killed, including three close relatives of Filipino terrorist Basit Usman, during a series of encounters in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town, Maguindanao Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, AFP public spokesperson, identified two of Usman's slain relatives as nephews Rene Masabpi and Kumidi Simeon.

This brings the number of BIFF killed in the military offensive, that started last Feb. 25, to 116 and 63 wounded.

Another unidentified relative of elusive terrorist leader Basit Usman was also killed in fierce clashes with Marine troopers in the swampland of Barangay Pamalian, also in Shariff Saydona Mustapha.

The three fatalities were buried by retreating BIFF forces in shallow graves in Sitio Ilang, Barangay Tina, Shariff Aguak

Civilian informants pinpointed their burial sites to government troops.

The operating troops under Marine Battalion Landing Team-8 spotted more or less 20 bandits who were either dead or wounded during the series of firefights.

"They were carried away by comrades when they fled from the encounter site," Cabunoc added.

The operating troops of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-8, led by Lt. Col. Willy Manalang, were closing in on the group of Usman and five terrorists who were being coddled by BIFF leader Mohammad Ali Tambako.

Troops are following blood traces left behind by bandits.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=743841

UH-ID test pilot denies experiencing problems while testing aircraft

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 12): UH-ID test pilot denies experiencing problems while testing aircraft

For one of the pilots involved in testing the newly-acquired UH-ID combat utility helicopters, having the aircraft at the Air Force inventory is a good buy for the country.

This is contrary to reports claiming that the UH-1Ds, of which 21 were acquired for Php 1.26-billion, are unsafe to fly.

Major Aristides Galang, 210th Tactical Squadron operations officer and the test-pilot involved in the acceptance test of UH-IDs, said that he has encountered no problems while conducting flight testing the aircraft.

The 210th Tactical Squadron is one of the seven squadrons of the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing. It is the unit tasked to train and teach all newly helicopter pilots the niceties of handling the "Huey", the name of the UH-I helicopter series.

He also said that UH-IDs are more powerful and have more lifting capability to the UH-IHs still serving the Philippine Air Force.

There are still 27 UH-UH units at the PAF inventory as of this time.

"Both aircraft have the top speed of 124 KIAS (knot indicated airspeed) but when you are flying UH-IH model, you can feel the aircraft starting to shake or shiver when you are approaching speeds up to 82 to 90 knots. But in the UH-ID, you can feel no vibration and even if you are cruising at speeds of 110 KIAS," Galang, a helicopter pilot with more than 1,900 flying hours, said in Filipino.

"It (UH-ID) also climbs very fast compared to the UH-IH," the PAF official pointed out.

Galang also stressed that during acceptance tests of the aircraft, either the UH-ID performs up to standard, as specified in the PAF checklist, or it will not be accepted for service.

During the so-called "maintenance test flights" (which are done during the pre-acceptance phase), all forms of maneuvers, are conducted to ensure that the aircraft has no major discrepancy, which could cause it to fall or crash while in PAF service.

This includes, air and ground-handling and various emergency procedures, the test pilot said.

And on claims that major discrepancies are encountered during initial tests of the aircraft, Galang said that this is only natural as all aircraft are prone to wear-and-tear while flying.

Galang said the same holds true for all aircraft in every Air Force in the world and dealing with such discrepancies is the job of maintenance crews and officers.

As of this posting, the PAF official said that he has officially tested six out of the UH-IDs and recommended them for acceptance.

He added that he is lounging to fly more of the UH-IDs as this is a much better aircraft than the UH-IH as its engine is more powerful and airframe more rugged as it has undergone "SLEP " (service life extension program).

PAF spokesperson Lt. Enrico Canaya earlier said that the "D" designation in the UH-1 means that it was manufactured by Dornier, a German aircraft manufacturer which started construction of the UH-1 during 1967 to 1981.

Around 350 units were build by the German aircraft manufacturer.

Canaya said that all seven UH-IDs are deployed to Central Luzon and Manila PAF units.

"The PAF, however, opted to deploy these newly turned over units to Central Luzon and Manila areas for endurance flights, training and other missions to make it accessible to technical representatives and take advantage of warranty claims," he said.

The PAF spokesperson also clarified that the UH-1Ds and UH-IHs, still in Philippine service, are similar models but made by different manufacturers.

"Their airframes are old but once they are refurbished and maintenance manuals they are reliable to perform missions. The PAF has a wealth of experience operating and maintaining UH-1 helicopters since the 1970s," he added.

Canaya also dismissed reports that UH-1D spare parts are no longer available in the market.

"Their parts are not obsolete and available in the market just like the parts for the existing fleets of UH-1Hs the PAF is currently maintaining. The UH-1H helicopters are still widely use in other countries," he said.

Canaya also added that the PAF does not accept aircraft with technical issues.

"The PAF only receives and operates units that passed the Technical Inspection And Acceptance Committee," he concluded.

The PAF spokesperson said that the newly arrived UH-IDs were more superior to the UH-1Hs as it featured composite main rotor blades which had a better performance and safety feature that the latter aircraft.

"Eight of the UH-1Ds have a more powerful engines similar to the PAF rescue helicopter, the Bell 205, which has a better lifting capacity, the UH-IDs had a structural improvements compared to the honey-combed components of the UH-1H and many others," Canaya pointed out.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=743911

NPA reveals untidy intent, burns civilian trucks in Bukidnon

From the Philippine Information Agency (Mar 10): NPA reveals untidy intent, burns civilian trucks in Bukidnon

Undetermined number of New People’s Army (NPA) under Guerilla Front 53 of South Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) led by Rachel Daguman alias Yudi or Jasmin and Guerilla Front 6 of North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC) led by Reynante Tumbalang alias Jigger and Randy Bayot alias Gov, flagged down several vehicles around 5:45 a.m, March 8, along Davao-Buda road in Barangay Palacapao, Quezon, Bukidnon.

Seven of the burned trucks were: three prime movers (containing one Bantuanon truck loaded with bananas, one trans-special truck, one FSTA truck loaded with cartons); 3 winged-van trucks (containing a Nestle van loaded with milk products, one Purefoods van loaded with hotdogs, one van loaded with drums); and one San Miguel ten-wheel truck loaded with Red Horse Beer.

Two of the trucks were bound for Bukidnon while five others were heading to Davao.

The group simultaneously fired at the CAFGU troopers’ detachment in the area.

Lt. Col. Lennon Babilonia, commanding officer of the army’s 8th Infantry Battalion, immediately sent troops to respond to the incident and go after the perpetrators.

A clash transpired but no casualties reported. Later, at around 8:30 a.m., the NPA ambushed the elements from PNP’s 103rd Maneuver Company of the Regional Public Safety Battalion who came to respond and augment the government force.

Seven PNP elements were wounded due to an explosion of a landmine.

Further, at around 9:20 a.m. of same day, composite troops from the 8th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and members of PPSC, PNP-Bukidnon led by police superintendent Daryl Aranton, who also responded to the incident, encountered an undetermined number of NPAs at Davao-Buda road along the borders of Puntian and Palacapao villages of same town.

Fire fight ensued for five minutes. No casualties reported on the government troops while casualties on the NPA side are still to be determined.

The army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade commander Col. Jesse Alvarez commended the elements of PNP Regional Public Safety Battalion, who also responded to the incident together with the troops.

“We conducted pursuit operations in close coordination with our PNP counterparts. The Davao-Buda highway is now safe for our travellers and everything is under control,” he said.

At the moment, pursuit operations are being conducted by government troops in the area.

The NPA, who will be celebrating their 46th founding anniversary on March 29, is once again committing crimes and atrocities in the province of Bukidnon, targeting innocent civilians.

In a statement, Lt. Col. Lennon G. Babilonia, commanding officer of the 8th Infantry Battalion, said “It is very clear that the ideologies that the NPA has been fighting for in their 46 years of armed struggle have waned. The incident proved once again that their ideologies are replaced by mere acts of crime and extortion that victimize innocent civilians. They are never pro-people. They don’t want progress and denies every opportunity for people to develop so they can continue to blame the government and pretend that they are for the people. If they (NPA) are truly a force to reckon with, they should stop terrorizing helpless civilians and face the military instead.”

 

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1501425973585/npa-reveals-untidy-intent-burns-civilian-trucks-in-bukidnon

Refugee Crisis in Philippines as Peace Deal Is at Risk

From the New York Times (Mar 10): Refugee Crisis in Philippines as Peace Deal Is at Risk

The Philippine military is fighting Islamic militants on two fronts in the country’s south, with recent battles having left dozens dead and driven more than 82,000 people from their homes, according to government officials and international organizations. An aid worker said a “growing humanitarian crisis” was underway in camps for people who had fled the violence.

The intensified fighting is taking place as lawmakers in Manila are debating a bill that would formalize the provisions of a landmark peace deal reached a year ago with the country’s largest rebel organization.

Last March, the rebels of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front agreed to lay down their weapons in return for the creation of a Muslim-dominated autonomous region in the southern Philippines. Under the deal, the newly established area would receive a generous portion of local tax revenue.

The deal was put in jeopardy in January, when the Philippine National Police conducted a raid in the small southern town of Mamasapano to capture several internationally wanted terrorism suspects. That botched operation, which resulted in a firefight with some members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and left 44 police officers dead, has generated harsh public criticism of the peace agreement.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has agreed to cooperate with government officials investigating the January incident. But a smaller breakaway group called the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, which was also involved in the firefight, has rejected the peace deal and continues to fight the military.

The military offensive against that splinter group has killed 73 rebels and four government soldiers in recent weeks, the military said on Monday. An estimated 82,070 people have fled their homes in Maguindanao, a province on the island of Mindanao, where the fighting is taking place, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

People in evacuation centers say the military has been using artillery to flush out the rebels, who have used guerrilla tactics and attempted to blend in with the local population, according to Lyca Sarenas, a program manager in Mindanao for the charitable organization Oxfam.

“The situation in the evacuation centers is getting graver and graver by the day,” Ms. Sarenas said. “They have very little food and water and limited access to toilets, and their numbers are growing exponentially. We have a growing humanitarian crisis in Mindanao that is largely being overlooked.”

On Sulu, an island just west of Mindanao, the military has been conducting a separate offensive against the Abu Sayyaf, a small but high-profile Islamic group that has kidnapped dozens of Filipinos and foreigners in the last decade. The military reports that 63 of that group’s fighters and 10 Philippine soldiers have been killed since the offensive began in November.

One analyst said the offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters was partly intended to send a message to the largest rebel organization about sticking to the peace deal. “They are sending a strong signal to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to pursue peace and not go the way of lawlessness,” said Rommel C. Banlaoi, the executive director of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research.

The military estimates that the Bangsamoro group has 300 to 400 fighters, but Mr. Banlaoi’s organization puts the figure at more than 1,000, with as many as 10,000 civilian sympathizers in the area.

“It is impossible to eliminate the B.I.F.F. through military means because the source of their rebellion is the political, economic and social injustices done to the communities where they operate,” Mr. Banlaoi said. “The military can neutralize some of their members, but they cannot eliminate the group.”

The Philippine military has said that foreign fighters from Indonesia and Pakistan appear to have joined the Bangsamoro group in its battles against the government. On Sunday, soldiers retrieved the body of another “foreign-looking individual,” according to the military.

“He does not look Asian,” Lt. Col. Willie Manalang, the Philippine Marine Corps commander at the battle site, said of the body. “He could be one of the foreign terrorists who were coddled by the B.I.F.F.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/world/asia/philippines-battling-rebels-on-2-fronts-setting-off-refugee-crisis.html?_r=0

First Multi Sectoral Forum on West Philippine Sea held in Cebu

From the Philippine Information Agency (Mar 10): First Multi Sectoral Forum on West Philippine Sea held in Cebu 

CEBU CITY --- Cebu today hosted the first ever multi-sectoral forum on the West Philippine Sea, which is the the first of a series of informaton drive to be held in regions nationwide.

More than a hundred representatives from various sectors attended the forum jointly conducted by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) held at the Central Command, Camp Lapulapu.

The objective of the activity is to raise awareness among citizens on the issue on West Philippine Sea and to get the people's support o the policies and actions of the Philippine government to address the issues in South China Sea.

Lt. Gen Nicanor Vivar, commanding general of Armed Forces of the Philippines-Centcom, said there is tension in the West Philippine Sea which the Filipinos need to be aware of.

“It is no longer a domestic problem but it has become a global problem. We have to know the historical facts and also our historical rights,” Vivar said in his welcome message.

The 3,500-square kilometer area west of the Philippines was then called South China Sea until the issuance of Administrative Order 29 in 2012 officially naming it as West Philippine Sea.

DFA Spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, gave a presentation explaining the historical background of the tension at the West Philippine Sea.

“We have to raise awareness and gain support of the people on the current moves of the government in addressing the problem,” Jose said.

Jose cited two underlying reasons on the need for public awareness, China’s claim over the territory and its aggressive behavior.

He said China and the rest of the claimants used to "co-exist quietly" until 2009 when China submitted a map showing a nine-dash line which had enclosed the territories in the entire South China Sea.

“China’s claim has been excessive, expansive and no basis under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” Jose said.

They had recorded several instances of aggression which include establishment of Sensha City, a sign of administering powers over the entire region and the barring of logistics to soldiers guarding the Scarborough Shoal.

Jose said the Philippines is now waiting for the result of an arbitration filed at the United Nations.

Reportedly there are 5 million Filipinos making a living from the sea waters in the areas and the Philippines has the richest biodiversity.

PIA Regional Director Minerva Newman challenged the participants to share the key message starting with their relatives and then the people in their community.

“The key message is that the Philippine Government and the Filipino people are determined to defend what is legally ours,” Newman said.

The knowledge gained from the activity should be shared in order to show support to what the government has been doing.

“We equip ourselves with knowledge, necessary information, the beauty, value of the West Philippine Sea and we can actually start from where we are sitting now,” Newman said.

After the presentation, some identified participants also underwent focused group discussions.

These include people from the academe particularly the communication group in University of San Jose Recoletos, University of San Carlos and University of the Philippines.

There were also representatives from local government units and national government agencies.

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2441425979445/first-multi-sectoral-forum-on-west-philippine-sea-held-in-cebu-

Basit Usman escapes 3 days before troops' raid

From the Philippine Star (Mar 11): Basit Usman escapes 3 days before troops' raid             



The foreign companions of Filipino terror suspect Basit Usman were seen carrying big bags as they fled to the eastern side of the Liguasan Delta, near the first district of Maguindanao. Google Earth

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines — Elusive bomb maker Abdul Basit Usman and his four Indonesian cohorts managed to escape from a lair of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Sharif Saidona three days before soldiers raided the encampment last Saturday, his relatives said Wednesday.

"He was already out of the area three days before soldiers arrived to occupy the camp," said a barangay official, who is a close relative of BIFF's founder, the radical cleric Ameril Ombra Kato.

Usman's Indonesian companions, whom local community elders identified as Suharduno, Hartini, Yudyuharto and Wiranduno, were seen carrying big bags as they fled to the eastern side of the Liguasan Delta, near the first district of Maguindanao.

The bags are believed to contain materials for fabrication of improvised explosives.

The presence of Indonesian terrorists in Maguindanao and nearby Cotabato City is not a recent development.

Several Indonesian members of the Jemaah Islamiya, the Asian cell of Al-Qaeda, have been arrested in Central Mindanao from between 2003 to 2007, among them explosives experts Fathur Roman Al-Ghozi and Taufik Refke, in separate police operations during the period.

Refke and three compatriots had even managed to enroll at the Cotabato City State Polytechnic College, while they rented a house at a subdivision in San Pablo area in Cotabato City.

"Teng (Usman) and his Indonesian companions managed to escape from Sharif Saidona last March 5. When the soldiers arrived on March 7, they were already out of the area," a relative, who asked not to be identified, said in the Maguindanaon vernacular.

Usman is known as "Teng" in Maguindanao's adjoining Sharif Saidona, Sharif Aguak, Salibo, Mamasapano and Datu Piang towns.

Usman's slain cohort, Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, was popularly known in the area as "Ibz," having introduced himself to local folks as Ibrahim, Arabic for Abraham.

No Arab cohort

Barangay folks belied reports that Usman has an Arab companion from somewhere in the Middle East.

A source, who was privy to the activities of Usman, said the two Arab-looking men that acted as his aides were actually children of Moro women sired by unidentified Arab men while they worked as domestic helpers in the Middle East in the late 1980s.

"Those men are Moro, with Arab fathers. They are not foreigners because they were born in Maguindanao. They could not even speak Arabic," said an uncle of one of the two men with Middle Eastern features.

Barangay folks said Usman and Marwan had trained more than 300 Maguindanaon, Maranaw, Yakan and Tausog recruits in Mamasapano where they had stayed together from 2011 until Special Action Force commandos arrived on January 25 to neutralize them both.

Marwan was killed in the raid while a wounded Usman, an ethnic Maguindanaon, and his four Indonesian companions managed to escape even before the SAF operatives could surround the shanty where they stayed.

Sources from local peasant communities said the four Indonesians also studied how to speak the Maguindanaon dialect while in Mamasapano and two of them, Hartini and Yudyuharto, learned fast that they could already talk to people around in the vernacular long before the January 25 SAF-rebel encounters in three barangays in the municipality.

An Army captain and three enlisted soldiers were killed on Saturday in firefights with BIFF members that coddled Usman and his Indonesian companions in Sharif Saidona.

Usman first fled to the western part of the Liguasan Delta a week before the Marines took over on March 1 the BIFF's main camp in Dasikil at the border of Mamasapano and Rajah Buayan towns.

Local officials said Usman returned inland and sought refuge at a BIFF enclave in Sharif Saidona for about a week, right after talks had spread that combatants of the Philippine Marine Corps would chase him at the marsh.

The Marines had killed four bandits, Jack Norodin, Kaharudin Pendatu, Tahir Sapal, and Murad Duwang, as they marched through BIFF defense lines encircling the camp, where Commander Mohammad Ali Tambako and his men had assembled improvised explosives used in recent attacks in Central Mindanao.

http://www.philstar.com/nation/2015/03/11/1432455/basit-usman-escapes-3-days-troops-raid

MILF: President Aquino wants BBL passed before June 11

Posted to the MILF Website (Mar 11): President Aquino wants BBL passed before June 11

President Benigno Aquino III wants both Houses of Congress to enact the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) before June 11 to provide the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) ample time during transition to prepare for the Bangsamoro.

“They are projecting approval by June. I’m hoping Congress approves the Bangsamoro Basic Law way before June,” Aquino told the Christian Leaders Coalition in a prayer meeting at Malacañang on Monday, March 9.

The aim is to give the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTC) enough time to demonstrate the merit of their belief that this is a better mode of governance.

“We will submit drafts, we will suggest and I’m sure we will arrive at a compromise in due time,” Aquino said.

Aquino also reiterated Monday his instructions to his allies in Congress to pass the stalled BBL soonest, since the government has to demonstrate its sincerity to the Muslim rebels by adopting the measure in its entirety.

“If the lawmakers amend or delete some of the portions of the BBL that were agreed upon, then how do we say it is more of a good version of the original?” he said.

The whole concept is that of a “catch up,” Aquino said, where local government units in Mindanao would eventually be at par with Manila or with any other urbanized locality in Luzon or the Visayas and not have a backward economy.

“The bottom line here is to allow them to catch up. They were left behind in terms of basic education, infrastructure and health services,” he said.

The Philippines Inc., an alliance of business groups in the country has joined other business groups in support of the Aquino administration and the peace talks amid the Mamasapano incident. It also supports the BBL to address the concerns of various stakeholders.

In a statement, Philippines Inc. said it is one with the business community in calling for sobriety and level-headedness as the country continues to reel from the effects of the encounter in Mamasapano.

“In line with this, it rejects as counterproductive both the demands for President Aquino to resign and for the government to abandon the peace talks and launch an all-out war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front,” the group said.

Philippines Inc., an alliance of the most respected leaders in the country from various industries, aims to establish a reformed business environment to attract investments.

Recently, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the largest business organization in the country, and other business groups also expressed their support to the peace process. The Mindanao Business Council (MBC) as well, expressed the same support to the continuation of the peace making in Mindanao.

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/773-president-aquino-wants-bbl-passed-before-june-11

Cayetano tags Marwan's MILF 'handler' as suspect in Mamasapano killings

From InterAksyon (Mar 11): Cayetano tags Marwan's MILF 'handler' as suspect in Mamasapano killings

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday named a commander of  the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as the handler of Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, who was believed killed by police commandos sent to arrest him in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January 25.

In a 21-page privilege speech, Cayetano said  there is strong evidence pointing to Commander Wahid Tundok, commander of 118th Based Command of MILF, as the handler of Marwan.

According to Cayetano, Tundok and his men should be considered the principal suspects in the massacre of 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF), who were pinned down by heavy fire from the MILF and its breakaway group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) as they tried to exit the area after killing Marwan.

The acting PNP chief, Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, had demanded prosecution of any MILF or BIFF men involved in the deaths of SAF men, citing medico-legal reports showing more than half of the 44 were killed, not in a firefight but were shot at close range, after being stripped of their bulletproof vests.

“Based on evidence, there is no doubt that the MILF knew Marwan was in their area during the encounter, at ang MILF mismo ang pumoprotekta kay Marwan [and it's the MILF itself that was protecting Marwan],” Cayetano said.

Who is Tundok?

In his presentation, Cayetano described Tundok as one of the senior and best combatants of MILF. 

“He faces many charges of multiple murder, arson, robbery, and other crimes. Commander Wahid Tundok is the Commander of the 118th Base Command of the MILF,” Cayetano said, in Tilipino.

The senator said  the Philippine National Police had arrested Tundok in February 23, 2014 for various crimes including multiple murders, arson, robbery and others, "but he was released just after three days!" at the behest of the government peace panel..

Commander Tundok was released due to the insistence of the peace panel led by the Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process Teresita Deles and chief government negotiator Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer.

“Commander Tundok and his men are also the initial suspects in the massacre of our 44 SAF heroes.  It is clear that the 118th battalion is among the groups that were in the area, where the SAF men were minassacred,” Cayetano said.

According to Cayetano, Deles allegedly insisted that Commander Tundok was the one who complained about the misencounter and who brokered the cease-fire on January 25, “at hindi siya maaaring kasama sa sumasagupa sa SAF.”

But if that were so, Cayetano asked: “If he really helped forge the cease-fire why did he reject an invitation to be interviewed by the [PNP] Board of Inquiry?”

Cayetano presented  footage from a television network showing Commander Tundok allegedly refusing to be interviewed by BOI.

“The reason [for snubbing BOI] is simple. There are questions that Commander Tundok cannot answer. For example, who was supporting, helping and protecting Marwan?” Cayetano said.

“Kumander Tundok cannot answer this because HE is one of the MILF Commanders who helped protect Marwan,” he added.

Marwan emails

Cayetano also presented email exchanges between Marwan and his brother,  showing that Commander Tundok was the one informing Marwan of sources to purchase weapons.

“Pinakita namin noon ang mga email ni Marwan sa kanyang kapatid habang nandito siya sa Mindanao. Dito din sa mga email na ito makikita na si Kumander Wahid Tundok mismo ang protektor ni Marwan,” Cayetano said.

“Tundok was the one telling Marwan to be on high alert and not to sleep because soldiers were planning to attack,” he added.

He said that Tundok was also the one telling Marwan to watch out for US drones spying on their camps.

“Marwan was telling his brother detailed information about Tundok and the operations against Tundok,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano said the government and the peace panel knew this information.

“So alam nila na si Kumander Tundok ang protector ni Marwan [So they - the government peace panel - knew that Kumander Tundok was protecting Marwan],” he said.

OPAPP has to explain

Meanwhile, Cayetano asked Deles and Ferrer to explain why they sought the release of Tundok despite evidence showing the latter is the handler and protector of Marwan, the subject of Oplan Exodus.

 “So, why did the government peace panel work to have Kumander Tundok released in February 2014?” Cayetano asked in Filipino.

“What was the quid pro quo for the release of Wahid Tundok? And why did Deles and Ferrer seem in a hurry to clear Kumander Tundok and his men in the Mamasapano massacre?” he added.

The government, he stressed, should answer this. “We deserve to know the truth. This and other evidence that arose from our hearings here are proof that the MILF knew Marwan and Usman were there, and they had been coddling these terrorists for a long time."

'Marwan’s hut owned by MILF'

Also, Cayetano revealed that Marwan was living in a hut right in the  middle of the MILF/BIFF community.

“The hut that Marwan was living in belonged to deceased MILF Commander Ustadz Bagindali (based on GMA 7 investigative report),” Cayetano said.

Cayetano said that Marwan was seen constantly praying in a Mosque inside the MILF/BIFF camp.

“So it is impossible for the MILF/BIFF not to have known he was there,” Cayetano said, adding that Tundok was issued safe conduct by the peace panel in all MILF territories.

“And common sense dictates that if you are a wanted International Terrorist with a $5 million dollar price on your head, and have been the subject of 10 operations in the past four years, would you hide in a place where you';re not welcome or safe?” Cayetano said.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/106733/cayetano-tags-marwans-milf-handler-as-suspect-in-mamasapano-killings

Bakwit population in Maguindanao now 72,585

From MindaNews (Mar 11): Bakwit population in Maguindanao now 72,585

The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) or bakwits (evacuees) in 11 of 36 towns in Maguindanao due to the military operations against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) has reached 14,517 families or 72,585 persons, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (ARMM-HEART) reported as of 6 p.m. on March 10.

A day earlier, ARMM-HEART reported the number of evacuees from the same towns at 12,920 families or 64,600 persons.



BAKWIT FAMILY. Johaira Agcub, 35 and her eight children sit outside the Datu Pendiliang Piang Elementary School in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao on March 7, 2015, displaced by the government’s “all-out offensive” against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. MindaNews photo by FROILAN GALLARDO

Mamasapano town posted the highest number of bakwits at 2,637 families, followed by Datu Salibo at 2,119; Shariff Saydona at 1,864; Shariff Aguak at 1,582; Datu Saudi Ampatuan at 1,329; Talayan at 1,195; Datu Anggal Midtimbang at 1,101; Guindulungan at 939; Talitay at 712; Rajah Buayan hosting 255; and Datu Unsay at 175.

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman is leading the distribution of relief goods to the 11 towns on Wednesday, March 11, under “Tabang Sibilyan” (Help Civilians).

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), has a higher number: 16,111 families or 80,555 persons affected in the towns of Mamasapano, Pagalungan, Datu Salibo, Shariff Saydona, Datu Unsay, Shariff Aguak, Rajah Buayan, Datu Hofer and Datu Saudi Ampatuan in Maguindanao and Pikit in North Cotabato, as of March 6, according to its most recently uploaded report dated March 7.

Out of these affected families, 15,058 families or 75,290 persons are internally displaced, it said.



BAKWIT BUSINESS. An enterprising bakwit lays down the goodies for sale at the grounds of Datu Pendiliang Piang Elementary School in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao on March 7, 2015, displaced by the government’s “all-out offensive” against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. MindaNews photo by FROILAN GALLARDO

According to the same report, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has spent P16,628,867.60 worth of relief goods for the IDPs from February 9 to 23 during the clashes between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and from February 25 when Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang launched his “all-out offensive” against the BIFF.

Catapang on February 25 ordered the Western Mindanao Command to coordinate with the Philippine National Police in a joint law enforcement operation against the BIFF purportedly to “protect the communities.”

“I am saddened by the news that at least 20,000 people had been displaced by the violent attacks perpetrated by the BIFF in the hinterland villages. We will do our best to protect the people and allow them to go back to their homes,” GMA News quoted him as saying. The 20,000 he was refererng to was apparently the number of persons due to the BIFF-MILF conflict.

But the “all-out offensive” against the BIFF which started on February 27, triggered mass evacuations of triple that number in 11 towns in 12 days.
The NDRRMC figures, posted on March 7, does not say how many evacuees had returned home.



FATHER. A father tends to his child outside a classroom in Datu Pendiliang Piang Elementary School in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao on March 7, 2015.At least 70,000 persons had already fled the fighting between the government and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. MindaNews photo by FROILAN GALLARDO

The Protection Cluster Philippines and UN High Commissioner on Refugees in its IDP Protection Assessment Report, Issue No. 7 noted that as of March 10, there are 68,354 persons displaced in Maguindanao (68,019) and Pikit in North Cotabato province (355) from the skirmishes between the MILF and BIFF and later between the military and the BIFF.

It said that in the displacement due to MILF-BIFF conflict, that a total of 6,383 families or 34,925 persons were displaced, of whom 5,630 families or 31,171 persons had returned home while 753 families or 3,754 persons have not.

In the conflict between the military and the BIFF, a total of 12,920 families or 64,600 persons have been displaced, of whom 12,538 families or 62,690 persons are inside evacuation centers while 382 families or 1,910 persons are outside evacuation centers.

“As of this posting, another armed encounter took place in the interior of Barangay Dapiawan Datu Saudi Ampatuan municipality and Barangay Pamalian, Shariff Saydona municipality. Community residents of Barangay Lower Masigay, Datu Salibo municipality evacuated to national highway,” the Protection Cluster said in its 6:04 p.m. posting on March 10.

MindaNews asked Capt. Jo-Ann Petingly, chief of the Public Affairs Office of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division in Camp Siongco, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, how many combatants had been killed and wounded since Catapang’s “all-out offensive” declaration. Television reports had said at least 70 members of the BIFF had been killed but did not say how many bodies were accounted for.

Petingaly’s reply: “As per consolidated reports, there are about 70 plus BIFF killed.” But only four bodies of the BIFF were accounted for in the 12-day operations, she said.

On the part of the military, six soldiers were killed and 23 others wounded.
“We are hoping to finish the operation the soonest para makabalik na din po ang mga mamamayan sa kanilang mga tahanan” (so the residents can return to their homes), Petinglay added.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/03/11/bakwit-population-in-maguindanao-now-72585/

Widows of MILF combatants receive cash assistance from MILF

From MindaNews (Mar 11): Widows of MILF combatants receive cash assistance from MILF 

CAMP DARAPANAN, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao — Unlike previous occasions in this multipurpose hall, the crowd on Sunday was predominantly female – widows of combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who were killed in that tragedy in Mamasapano on Sunday, January 25 — or wives or mothers of the wounded.

That it was International Women’s Day may have been coincidental for the predominantly male MILF leadership. The women were asked to be in the camp on Sunday to accept and sign receipt of the white envelops containing cash assistance from the MILF.

MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim told MindaNews they solicited money “from friends” so they could help the widows and the wounded members of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) and the civilians.

He declined to say how much the widows were given. “It depends on the family situation, the number of children,” he said.

 

Their names were called one by one, as MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim handed them a white envelop each containing the MILF’s cash assistance for the widows of MILF combatants killed in Mamasapano on January 25. MindaNews photo by TOTO LOZANO

How much was the minimum amount then?

Sammy Al-Mansoor, BIAF Chief of Staff told MindaNews’ Froilan Gallardo that they gave at least Php 70,000 each to the 18 widows; Php 40,000 each for the 25 wounded combatants; Php 40,000 each for four slain civilians and P20,000 each for five injured civilians.

The amounts distributed totaled some P2.5 million.

Carabao and cow for the children

Norma Ismael, 29, one of the widows, told MindaNews she would use the amount as capital for a small business. Ismael has one child who is turning nine years old. Working abroad again is an option that she has considered.



Norhaima Angkay, 22 mother of two. Norhaima tells MindaNews in a text message Wednesday that she bought a carabao and cow for their children from the financial assistance she received from the MILF. MindaNews photo by TOTO LOZANO

On Wednesday, Norhaima Angkay, 22, a widow with two children, the youngest at three months old, told MindaNews she used the money to buy her children a carabao and cow. Norhaima said on Sunday that she did think of going abroad to work but is worried about leaving her three-month old daughter.

The widows said this was only the second time they received financial assistance.

The first time was “galing sa mga Maranao” (from the Maranaos).

“Piso-piso lang’

At the February 10 rally in Banggolo, Marawi City pushing for the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), participants shelled out money for the relatives of “our Shaheed (martyrs). They died for us and the Bangsamoro,” rally organizer Achmad Lao said.

Lao said they collected P50,000 and several thousands more in pledges during the three-hour rally and that a similar fund drive was simultaneously launched in the nearby town of Baloi, Lanao del Norte.

“Kahit piso-piso lang we can gather enough money to the families of the slain MILF fighters and civilians who died in the Mamasapano clash,” Lao said, pointing to a group of children giving their allowance for the cause.

Honorable deaths

“We cannot afford the millions that is given to the SAF 44 but we want to tell the families of our martyrs they are not forgotten,” he said.



Mamasapano’s widows gathered at the multipurpose hall in the MILF’s Camp Darapanan on Sunday to receive financial assistance from the MILF. MindaNews photo by CAROLYN O. ARGUILLAS

During the short ceremonies on Sunday – the entire rites rendered in Maguindanao language – Murad told the widows, the wounded, and relatives of the slain and wounded: “Death is a certainty. But as human beings, it is but natural to still grieve for the loss of loved ones. However, for those of us who struggle for a cause, we console ourselves in the thought that they attained an honorable death in defense of their communities.”

“We envy them for we are uncertain if we will be gifted with an honorable death; one that is in defense of our communities and in pursuit of the principles that we are fighting for,” Murad said in Maguindanao.

Hundreds of thousands

The families of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos have received benefits amounting to PhP250,000 each from the Office of the President, aside from 25 percent of basic life insurance and special financial assistance from the PNP depending on the rank of the SAF member, Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr., head of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Public Information Office (PIO) said on February 20.

Cerbo said the beneficiaries received a minimum of PhP 407,000 to a maximum of PhP 764,000.

Aside from these benefits, Cerbo said the PNP was in the process of computing the unused leave credits of the slain policemen which will be converted into cash to be deposited in their ATM accounts on or about Feb. 25.

He added that by March 16, the families of the slain SAF commandos will receive monthly pension from the PNP.

The amounts cited here do not include the assistance in cash and kind by the private sector for the widows of the SAF 44.

http://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2015/03/11/widows-of-milf-combatants-receive-cash-assistance-from-milf/

Teacher seized in Southern Philippine town

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Mar 11): Teacher seized in Southern Philippine town

Two men have seized a government teacher in the town of Indanan in southern Philippines, reports said on Wednesday. 

It said the 44-year old Allyn Abdurajak was returning home on a motorcycle from the town of Jolo when the duo intercepted her late Tuesday. 

No individual or group claimed responsibility for the abduction and local police chief Abraham Orbita and town officials did not issue any statement about the latest abduction. 

Just recently, six armed men suspected to be Abu Sayyaf rebels also seized two government teachers – Russel Bagonoc, 22, and Reynadeth Silano, 34, - in Moalboal village in Zamboanga Sibugay’s Talusan town. 

The teachers were travelling on a motorcycle when gunmen intercepted them and dragged the duo to a waiting motorboat and sped away. 

The kidnappers have reportedly demanded P10 million ransom from the Department of Education and the victims’ families. 

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Philippines, which condemned the abductions, appealed to authorities to secure their immediate release. 

“We condemn those persons who are responsible for these abductions that have victimized these dedicated public servants and resulted to the deprivation of hundreds of school children to education,” it said. 

Police and military authorities have previously blamed the Abu Sayyaf in past kidnappings of teachers in the region.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2015/03/teacher-seized-in-southern-philippine.html